The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-25

the porpus ON board. Az any rate, II IL
hadn't been for one OF those cod lines
which were town ovcr the starn Tor alba
tros | wouldn't he hero on tho bluff Mt
this minute, | remember the old bark
mOvin' swiftly past me ms | come 20 the
top oil the water, and il were the lust time
me or anybody else ever seen her so
swiftly. She WINS not, in fact, going more
than four knots, but Ia mo in the water
she seemed 90 be goin' fourteen. In u
iiiIy | were in her wake, and were about
thinkin' I'd be left, when felt somothin'
rubin along my face, and, instantly grab.
bin il, | found il were enc Of these cod
lines. | tried to hold fast 10 il, but found
Il impossible. IL was ~ small That ! could
not prevent its slippin' through my hand,
when, all OF a sudden, there were a sharp
jerk at the leather belt which were around
my waist, in which was my sheath knife,
and found myself bcin' rapidly dragged
through the water like q hooked alhatross.
The cod hook at the end OF the line had
caught under the belt and | was taken in
tow.
GLOW long | could have lowed there
without drownin' lcan'tsay, or whctheTt the
liue would have held my weight for any
great length OF time. ! had often cursed
the old Merscy Tor her lack OF speed, but
now | blessed her for her slothiul motion,
which WAS my SilyauOn. Al the mon
who had been tcndin' the lines aft had
run ior'ard to see the porpus, and my
mint cry was not heard by the man Mt the
wheel. cause he were shut up In the
wheel house. llowscvcr the chap which
was tnrihvst ior'ard On the porpus line had
s,vn me 70, and rs Don as he could he
heard md the noise nnd huhbub OF gittin'
Ia the porpus, nc CIV the alarm, aud at
last, arlor I'd been gone full five minutes,
tho cry Of man overheard were passed
along, and the helm WIS pat down.
81 wec jist about giNin' up, cause the
strain on my arius wcrr tremendous, not
withstandin' the hook bcin' llsl in my
bolt, and almost every half minute my
head would 20 under, and | had took
aboard considerable water, ~ | was right
glad To see the siuddin' sails liiun' aud
then takin' aback, the booms snappin'
short OIL like pipe stems as the bark came
to the Wind.
"All the boats The old bark had were
turned bottom up on a gallOws frame. anu
q would have took irum ten to fifteen
minutes tO have gotten either uf them
overheard, aud only Tor the codllnc Id q
been a drowned man. The bark, as she
came 10, lost her way, and the strain uu
my arms relaxed. Then | found the lin,
slnckin' ~ tine old hooker gathered starn.
way. and | took in the slack, shoutin' with
all my might lor en- to CIV inc q bow,
Inc over the star. II were, however,
some time aioro | could make unybod,
bear, ms all hands WAS amidships gittin
the boat ont. Finally, however, the man
at the wheel hccpl me, and, comm out,
ne looked over the starn and seen where l
wcrr aud passed along the word. A lew
minutes later | had u bovine round me,
pnd wcrc hauled on board jls, ~ II struck
Tour bells IN ihc iu-t night watch, aud II
were only jlst giitin' dark.
For some time prpyiousthcrc had been
a bank OF cumuli rsin' nj the southwest,
a sllro sign IN that region Of n hard gale
nom that quarter, and while | were goin'
iot arl for N shift myself | heard the order
| CIV Tor Ia clcw up the royals and to gall'
sails, and by the limo ] come out agin the
the jib and spanicr was in, the mlinsIl
hauled up and the topSul- yards was clcwcd
down, with orlcns iOr to ~ C~losc-r,ct both
t~opsails, and by eight bells lmidnightl the
old hooker was a lObain up and down
agin the long Antarctic sca, with nothin'
onto her but aclusc-rcrfcd mainlOpsail and
rccicd i%oncsail. tho wind blown a hard
gale from sOu'Wcst.
The whole of the next day, and, for
that matter, Tor a couple oi weeks, dnitin'
n, Tar " the ept'ard vi staten land. but
u wrnu under sch circumstance that W
hat our Christmas dinner, sirtinly tlse
very finest meal | ever had In nay born
days.
''Some way, which I never inquired
shout some risins had been Obtained
IRON one Of the boxes In the hold. ~ ~ W.
could have plums In our duii, aud We had
roast porpus for tho main chance, with
fried porpus brains rs n special dish Tot
me. sccin' rs ! had nearly lost tho mum.
her Of my mcus a-catchin' oi him. Then
wo had iicasccd albatruSs thighs, with
plum duff for dessert. and the Who'll,
washed down with whisky, tho old mar
hayin' KEEP his word n 10 the reward io
catchin' the porpus. Now, c~onSdcnn
that We wAs about 10 days nj SEA, thi
here were u Christmas dinner % H. prOui
Ot and IN remember for the rrt IL ou
lives. and ! am quite sun, sir, that | shan
never forget Il, s,cin' ~ how ! come n
near 'slippin' my wind Tor q long due q
catchin' that pOrpus."
ROLAND 4. CorTtN.